J.D. Power and Associates Ranks Panasonic Rear-Seat Entertainment System Highest in Customer Satisfaction

Respondents select Panasonic in top 12 ranked vehicles

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Jan. 19 -- Highest on the list.

That's where J.D. Power and Associates put Panasonic's rear-seat entertainment system in the GMC Yukon Denali in its report on customer satisfaction for this increasingly popular vehicle option.

In fact, the top 12 ranked vehicles named in J.D. Power and Associates' 2004 Rear-Seat Entertainment Usage and Satisfaction Study(SM) all feature the Panasonic system, produced by Panasonic Automotive Systems, including the Cadillac Escalade/Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Silverado, Honda Pilot, Honda Odyssey, Chevrolet Suburban, Nissan Quest, Chevrolet Avalanche, GMC Sierra HD, Acura MDX and Lexus RX 330. The study measures the satisfaction of consumers who recently purchased or leased a vehicle with a factory-installed rear-seat entertainment system.

"This is certainly a testament to Panasonic Automotive's unquestioned leadership in delivering best-in-class rear-seat entertainment systems," exclaimed Vince Sarrecchia, president of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America. "We are extremely pleased that J.D. Power and Associates validated on a third-party basis the effort and enthusiasm we put into making what has become one of the most popular vehicle options on the market today."

The Panasonic system in the GMC Yukon Denali performed well above industry average for video screen, audio quality, ease of operation and overall appearance, according to the study.

Some 93 percent of customers surveyed said they would "definitely" or "probably" recommend their rear-seat entertainment system to others, with nearly two out of three saying a lack of a rear-seat entertainment system option in a new vehicle would influence their buying or leasing decision.

"For Panasonic, delivering unsurpassed customer satisfaction in our products is what we're in business to do," said Sarrecchia. "The findings by J.D. Power and Associates are certainly something we're proud of, in part by having received the highest standing in the rankings, but also the fact that our system is featured in the top 12 vehicles in the study."

Based in Southfield, Michigan, Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America is a division of Secaucus, New Jersey-based Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. of Osaka, Japan -- one of the world's leading developers and producers of innovative digital and other electronic products for consumer, business and industrial use. Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America also acts as the North American operating company of Panasonic Automotive Systems Company, an internal division company of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., which coordinates global automotive industry systems and components operations. For more information on Panasonic and Matsushita Electric, visit www.panasonic.com . Media can access press releases via the Panasonic Pressroom web site, www.panasonic.com/pressroom , or through the company's toll-free fax-back system at 888-734-7490.